1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed toward a delimber/slasher. The invention is also directed toward a boom assembly for use in a delimber/slasher and a delimbing boom for use with a boom assembly in a delimber/slasher. The invention is also directed toward a method of using the delimber/slasher.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under CFR xc2xa7xc2xa71.97-1.99
Delimbers for delimbing felled trees are known. The known delimbers usually have either a fixed length sliding boom, sliding through a tubular support mounted on a vehicle, or a telescopic boom mounted on a support on a vehicle. Either type of boom has first gripping means at its free or head end for gripping the end of a felled tree. The support, supporting the boom, has second gripping means for holding the tree at its butt end. In use, the boom grips the butt end of a felled tree with the first gripping means, positions the butt end in the second gripping means, and operates the boom to move the first gripping means relative to the second gripping means to delimb the tree. Some of these delimbers have a cut-off saw at the head end of the boom for topping off the delimbed tree and some have a butt plate at the support against which the tree is positioned. The delimbed trees are all tree length however and further processing, using a different machine, is then required to cut the delimbed trees into the log lengths required by the mill.
It is also known to provide delimber/slashers having a delimbing head at the end of a boom, the head carrying tree gripping means; tree feeding means and a cut-off saw. In use, the butt end of a tree is gripped, by the gripping means and placed between the feed rollers. The feed rollers then move the tree rearwardly while the gripping arms delimb the tree. Some form of measuring means measures the length of tree delimbed and when a desired delimbed length is reached the cut-off saw is operated to cut off a log length. The measuring means employed however are not very accurate and the machine is operated to cut off log lengths which are well over the required length to ensure that minimum log length requirements are met. This however results in waste.
The known delimbers/slashers have other disadvantages as well. The fixed-length booms are quite long and this makes it difficult for the operator to clearly see the trees to pick them up. Also, the fixed-length booms, being quite long, can cause considerable damage to new and second growth trees when swinging around while in use. Further, fixed-length booms make it difficult, if not impossible, to handle felled trees located just in front of the delimber without having to move the delimber. The more the delimber has to be moved however, the less efficient the operation of the machine. Delimbers with telescoping booms have similar problems but not as pronounced. The manner of mounting of the boom on the vehicle and length of the boom also makes it difficult to leave delimbed trees parallel, or nearly parallel to the logging trail for pickup. Using the known delimbers, the delimbed trees are piled to the side of the trail, partway, or even completely, off the trail further damaging the environment. It is desirable to try to leave the trees as parallel to the logging trail as possible since subsequent collecting is easier and more environmental friendly.
Delimbers with a delimbing head at the end of a boom also have difficulty in delimbing, slashing and stacking the logs on the trail since the tree is usually delimbed in a direction transverse to the boom, and to the trail, to enable the operator to see the machine working. The cut-off logs thus extend transverse to the trail, and, to leave the trail open, may even extend partway off the trail again damaging the environment.
Environmental concerns are resulting in the passing of regulations requiring a high percentage of the area being logged to remain undamaged. It is difficult to do this with known delimbers and delimber/slashers. Known delimbers and delimber/slashers also are not constructed to leave the delimbed trees/cut-off logs in a position on the side of the trail, generally parallel to the trail, for easy pickup without extensively damaging the environment while maneuvering to try to place the trees/logs in the desired pick-up position. Known delimber/slashers also do not readily and easily allow the delimbed tree to be cut to various lengths and, more particularly, to be cut to various, accurate, lengths.
The use of known delimbers and delimber slashers also result in quite extensive damage to the environment. Using delimbers with a delimbing head at the end of a boom, requires the feller buncher, which passes on the logging trail first, to fell and bunch the trees to the side of the trail and extending in a direction transverse to the trail. This usually means that the trees extend far off the trail and damage the uncut forest area. Using delimbers with fixed length or telescopic booms has the long booms causing damage as they are swung about handling the trees, delimbing them, and stacking them on or beside the trail for slashing. The slashing operation requires another machine on the logging trail for slashing/forwarding the logs which leads to further environmental damage on the trail.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a delimber/slasher that allows the operator to more easily see the delimbing head thus making operation of the machine, particularly when picking up trees, easier. It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a delimber/slasher that makes it easier to see and reach felled trees very close to the machine thus lessening the movement required of the delimber/slasher. It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a delimber/slasher that can process trees to be delimbed and cut in a manner whereby the delimbed trees are processed to log length within the logging trail and are stacked parallel, or generally parallel, to the logging trail, and on the side of the logging trail, thereby making collecting of the logs much quicker and easier. It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a delimber/slasher that can easily cut delimbed trees to any one of several required log lengths and to cut the trees to more accurate lengths than is now possible. It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a delimber/slasher that can be easily adjusted to vary the log lengths that are cut off the tree. It is yet another purpose to provide a delimber/slasher that can be used in tree harvesting operations to provide an environmentally friendly harvesting operation.
In accordance with the present invention, a boom assembly for a delimber/slasher is provided having a supporting boom structure adapted to be connected to a vehicle at one end and having a delimber boom connected to the other end of the supporting boom structure. The delimber boom carries a delimbing head at its front end, the delimbing head having gripping and delimbing arms; feed rollers; and a cut-off saw; as is known. The delimber boom is angularly offset with respect to the supporting boom when the boom assembly is viewed from the top. Offsetting the delimber boom offsets the tree being delimbed from the supporting boom, and from the vehicle as well, allowing the delimber operator a clear look at the delimbing head during use and making it easier to pick up trees. With the tree offset from the vehicle, delimbing and cutoff can take place closer to the vehicle allowing the operator a better look at, and better control over, the operations. The angularly offset delimber boom also allows the trees being delimbed and cut to be more easily delimbed within the logging trail and, when cut, to be piled on the side of trail, more closely parallel to the trail, thus making forwarding of the trees easier and minimizing damage to the adjacent uncut portions of the logging area. The angularly offset delimbing boom, and the supporting boom which is a knuckle boom structure, also allows the delimbing head to be moved close to the delimbing vehicle allowing handling of felled trees close to the vehicle and making the machine more efficient in operation since it does not have to move as much in processing the felled trees. The angularly offset delimbing boom and knuckle boom arrangement also sets the boom assembly close to the ground making the delimber/slasher very stable in operation and minimizing log damage when dropped to the ground from the boom.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, the delimber/slasher, in one embodiment, uses a delimbing boom with a butt plate at one end. The butt plate determines the length of log to be cut-off, the delimbed tree fed rearwardly until its butt end hits the butt plate. Feeding is stopped and the cut-off saw is actuated to cut a log off. In a preferred embodiment, the delimber boom has a plurality of butt plates allowing different, accurate, lengths of log to be cut from the delimbed tree. A plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart butt plates are preferably provided on the delimbing boom with moving means for moving any selected one of the butt plates into operative position, the butt plates determining the lengths to be cut from the delimbed tree. The boom is made at least as long as the longest log to be cut, with the butt plate farthest from the cut-off saw determining the longest log that could be cut. Further, each butt plate is preferably mounted for longitudinal adjustment relative to the cutoff saw on the delimbing boom to be able to vary the lengths of tree that are to be cut off using each butt plate. If desired, the cutoff saw on the delimbing boom can also be mounted for limited longitudinal movement relative to the butt plates between maximum and minimum positions. The movable arrangements for the butt plates and the cut-off saw allows tree lengths to be cut to more accurate lengths and also allows different lengths to be accurately cut depending on the end use of the logs cut from the tree. The delimbing boom, with a plurality of butt plates; and/or with the position of the butt plates adjustable; and/or with the position of the cut-off saw adjustable can also be used on delimber/slashers which do not employ an angularly offset delimber boom. Such a machine would not have all the advantages of a machine employing an angularly off-set delimber boom, but would still provide advantages in cutting off logs more accurately and more diversity.
The invention is particularly directed toward a boom assembly for a delimber/slasher. The boom assembly has an operator boom; a connector boom pivotably connected at one end to one end of the operator boom; and a hydraulic operator pivotably connected at its ends between the operator boom and the connector boom in a manner to move the other end of the connector boom toward or away from the other end of the operator boom when operated. A delimber boom having a delimbing head at one end, is fixedly mounted, behind the delimbing head, to the connector boom at its other end, the delimber boom mounted to extend at a slight angle, when the boom assembly is viewed from above, to the connector boom.
The invention is also directed toward a delimber boom used on a delimber/slasher. The delimber boom has a delimbing head at one end and at least two butt plates toward the other end of the boom, the butt plates spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the boom. Mounting means mount each butt plate on the boom. Moving means are provided for each butt plate for selectively moving the butt plate between an operative position transverse to the boom and extending down from the boom to be aligned with a delimbed tree emerging rearwardly from the delimbing head to receive the butt end of the tree, and an inoperative position where it is out of the path of the delimbed tree emerging rearwardly from the delimbing head.
The invention is further directed toward a delimber boom to be used on a delimber/slasher, the delimber boom having a delimbing head at one end and a butt plate at the opposite end. The delimbing head carries delimbing means, feed means and a cut-off saw. The cut-off saw has mounting means for adjustable mounting it on the delimber head to vary its distance from the butt plate.
The invention is also particularly directed toward a tree harvesting method using the delimber/slasher of the present invention. In the method, a feller buncher moves in one direction from a logging road, along a logging trail, back to the logging road, felling and bunching trees on the trail with their butt ends facing the direction of travel of the feller buncher. A delimber/slasher, having a delimber boom angularly offset from a support boom then moves in the opposite direction on the logging trail to pick-up, delimb and slash the felled trees on the trail with the delimber boom while stacking the logs on the sides of the trail substantially parallel to the trail.